newton-police

There’s been an arrest in connection with a Newton Police Investigation into a threatening social media post about a potential school shooting. Sergeant Bernard Eckert with the Newton Police Department says a Newton juvenile has been charged with Threat of Terrorism, a Class D Felony, and 1st Degree Harassment, an Aggravated Misdemeanor. Just before 8:30 Wednesday night, Sergeant Eckert says Newton Police were notified of a Snapchat message circulating social media that warned readers of a plan to use fire alarms to initiate a school shooting. While officers were investigating that message, the police department received multiple reports that a juvenile living in Newton had posted on Facebook that he was going to shoot up every school the next day. According to Sergeant Eckert, Newton Officers located and took the juvenile into custody without issue. He adds officers did find guns in the juvenile’s home, and the individual  admitted posting the Facebook threat. The juvenile is now being held at Central Iowa Detention in Eldora. Sergeant Eckert notes Newton Police were unable to find any association between the Snapchat threat author and Newton, Iowa.